This invention relates to the field of carts, and more particularly, to a collapsible and portable cart for use in transporting and hauling a multitude of varied items.
Pushcarts are old in the art. In fact, the inventor of the subject invention is the inventor of an earlier cart, which cart received patent protection under U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,050, on Mar. 1, 1994. Before the ""050 patent, there was U.S. Pat. No. 2,020,766 to Brown, issued on Nov. 12, 1935, for a collapsible basket. Applicant presumes there have been others.
Focusing on the above two pieces of prior art, a good example of the extremes in the collapsible cart industry is shown. While the invention of the ""766 patent is directed to a cart for more industrial use, and is thereby built to accommodate both size and strength, the invention of the ""050 patent is more particularly targeted to the individual/home user and to the tasks which are normally associated therewith (shopping, laundry, gardening, etc.).
As is seen in a more thorough review of the invention of the ""766 patent, it is clearly built for strength. Not only are the sides of the cart of the ""766 patent, constructed of a multitude of crossing bars 15, but the floor structure of the ""766 patent (best seen in FIG. 5), has a multiple of support bars 16 and 34. As seen in FIGS. 5-8 of the ""766 patent and described at column 3, line 42-column 4, line 2, the complicated and extensive structure of the floor of the ""766 patent is extraordinarily complicated in design so as to allow for collapsibility of the cart, while maintaining the necessarily required strength parameters.
Turning to the subject inventor""s earlier Handy Cart, patented in the ""050 patent, we once again see an item which, while being designed for home/individual use, is nevertheless bulky and complicated in design and appearance; such bulk and complication lending the cart the nominal strength needed for the average, everyday chore (such as carrying home groceries from the Supermarket or small amount of laundry from the Laundromat). As seen in the ""050 patent, a complicated structure of lazytongs frames and a multiple support bar floor is used to achieve both lateral and vertical strength and confinement for items held within the cart structure. It is in fact one of the disadvantages of the complex lazytongs frames of all four sides of the ""050 patent, which in part contributes to the need for having eight support bars as a floor structure. As seen in the figures of the ""050 patent, due to the complex lazytongs frames and the multiple intersection and crisscrossing of the individual frame bars 14, not only are corner lazytongs frame connections created at 30 (see FIG. 2), but intermediate side connections 32 are also created (see also FIG. 2). As anyone who has tried to open (expand) a gate made of similar multiple crossing lazytongs frames, these multiple crossing pieces are difficult to open, even for such a simple one directional gate-type apparatus. The ""050 patent takes that earlier concept further, and creates a box structure, thereby requiring the simultaneous opening of four frames, in four separate directions. It is therefore a purpose of the flooring structure of the ""050 patent, and the mutiple eight bar construction, to assist in opening the cart by applying downward pressure on the hub 34, thereby pushing outwardly on each of the eight support bars of the floor, and thereby also pushing on the corners 30 and intermediate connections 32 of the overall cart frame structure.
It would be desirable to have a portable and collapsible cart which has the strength of the cart of the ""766 patent, while having a more ornamental and attractive look achieved by a less cumbersome wall and floor structure, which improved item could be used in both extremes of the portable cart industry; the industrial side of the industry as the ""766 cart, and the home/individual side of the industry as is described and patented in the ""050 cart.
In accordance with the invention, a collapsible and portable cart is provided. The cart comprises a selectively collapsible frame for receiving therein a carry bag when the frame is in an open, useable position, at least one handle extending from the frame, a plurality of wheel assemblies and a floor array comprised of a plurality of support bars and a weight bearing assembly located substantially centrally of the floor array. The weight bearing assembly of the floor array is comprised of a top plate member and a plurality of downwardly extending support members, the support members being so situated as to create slots therebetween for receipt therein of one end of one of the support bars.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved collapsible and portable cart for home, commercial and industrial use.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved portable and collapsible cart which is aesthetically new and pleasing.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved collapsible and portable cart which is constructed using side and floor framing, while maintaining strength and durability, and while further allowing for ease of use.
Other objects of the invention will be in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the following description.
The invention accordingly comprises assemblies possessing the features, properties and the relation of components which will be exemplified in the products hereinafter described, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.